Evidence of magnetism-induced topological protection in the axion insulator candidate EuSn<sub>2</sub>P<sub>2</sub>.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35042814.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2116575119 and PMC identifier 8795521.
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Abstract
We unravel the interplay of topological properties and the layered (anti)ferromagnetic ordering in EuSn<sub>2</sub>P<sub>2</sub>, using spin and chemical selective electron and X-ray spectroscopies supported by first-principle calculations. We reveal the presence of in-plane long-range ferromagnetic order triggering topological invariants and resulting in the multiple protection of topological Dirac states. We provide clear evidence that layer-dependent spin-momentum locking coexists with ferromagnetism in this material, a cohabitation that promotes EuSn<sub>2</sub>P<sub>2</sub> as a prime candidate axion insulator for topological antiferromagnetic spintronics applications.